Chapter 938
Is anyone dead?
Xuan Chengzi's pupils finally contracted sharply.
He knew it was too late.
If a fire starts in one place, it can be suppressed.
If two, three, or four places catch fire at the same time, it's not just suppression, it's burning the mountain.
And this fire, unfortunately, didn't originate from outside.
It burns from inside everyone's stomach.
The wind outside grew stronger.
The wind swept the snow down the steps of the Ancestral Hall, scattering even the last bits of flesh at the feet of Mo Ku's corpse.
Suddenly, someone uttered something in a low voice.
"When he was alive, we would kneel before him. Now that he's dead, all that's left is this scrap of flesh."
The snow in Hongyun City is lighter than it was a few days ago.
But the braziers on the city wall still burned as usual, and the snow outside the south wall, repeatedly turned over by blood and fire, had not yet been completely covered by new snow. From a distance, it looked like a piece of white cloth that had been scorched, with blackened edges and a dark red center. When the cold wind blew, a faint smell of rust still wafted back.
Zheng Yi stood at the highest point of the south city gate tower, wearing a black cloak, his hands tucked into his sleeves, quietly watching the official road in the distance.
Caravans have already resumed operating on the official road.
There were people hauling grain, people transporting timber, and small clans and scattered households who had migrated from various parts of Dingzhou, bringing their families and livestock, their carts piled high with pots, pans, wooden boxes, and bedding. Hongyun City offered very generous terms: land, building materials, and food rations, with tax exemption for the first year. In the past few days, Han Wuhen's men had fenced off several plots of previously barren riverbank land outside the city and allocated them to the newcomers.
In chaotic times, people don't follow reason; they only follow how to survive.
And Hongyun City is now the brightest light in the entire Dingzhou.
At least that's how it appears to outsiders.
Guo Tianyou walked up the city wall in his heavy armored boots, stood behind Zheng Yi, and bowed, saying, "Sir, the refugees in the north and east have been settled almost completely. More than 300 new wooden sheds have been built over the Blackwater River. The carpenter said that the first batch of brick houses will be built in another five days."
"Hmm." Zheng Yi didn't turn around. "Did the new guy cause trouble?"
“There are a few.” Guo Tianyou grinned. “Two of them were bastards who used to run errands for the Qingyun Sect. They tried to act high and mighty here, so I gave them twenty lashes and hung them up at the city gate for half a day. The rest of them became obedient as soon as they heard the rules.”
Zheng Yi said calmly, "Hanging the city gate is fine, but don't leave it hanging for too long. With so many people around, we need to intimidate them, but we also can't let them think that this place is even more sinister than Qingyun Mountain."
Guo Tianyou scratched his head: "I understand. It's just that sometimes when I get angry, my hands get itchy."
"Bear with it."
"Yes."
After Guo Tianyou finished answering, he took another half step forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Sir, things have been quite lively at Qingyun Mountain these past few days. Iron One-Eye's informant at the foot of the mountain reported that there's been trouble on the mountain every day. Today the medicine hall was smashed, tomorrow someone was beaten to death outside the warehouse. That so-called sect leader actually arrested dozens of the most troublemakers, and I heard they were hung on the execution platform for public display."
Zheng Yi then slowly turned his head and glanced at him.
"After the hanging, was it quiet?"
Guo Tianyou laughed: "Quiet my ass. Before the execution, they were cursing the Hall of Affairs, and after the execution, they started cursing the Taiqing Palace. Now, people from those towns at the foot of the mountain are sneaking over here every day. They bring their families, and we can't stop them."
Zheng Yi nodded, his gaze returning to the distance.
A gust of wind blew from the snowfield, gently lifting the hem of his coat.
"Another two weeks," he said.
"What, half a month?" Guo Tianyou was taken aback.
“In another half month, the people on Qingyun Mountain will realize that the hardest thing is not the lack of food or medicine,” Zheng Yi said calmly. “It’s that every day when they open their eyes, they see people around them trying to run away, hide, cheat, or rob. When they no longer trust anyone, the knife may not necessarily be aimed at outsiders.”
Guo Tianyou felt a chill run down his spine as he listened.
He had fought alongside Zheng Yi until now and had seen many ruthless people. But he had never seen anyone as ruthless as Zheng Yi, who could stand on the city wall and watch an entire thousand-year-old sect sink into the mud without even a hint of panic.
"Sir," Guo Tianyou couldn't help but ask, "Shall we continue adding fuel to the fire on the mountain?"
“Add water, but don’t rush,” Zheng Yi said. “The Qingyun Sect is no longer a tree that can be blown down in one breath; it’s more like a large vat with a crack. The harder you smash it, the more likely it is to hold on for a while. As long as you let the water keep leaking, it will empty itself.”
Guo Tianyou scratched his face and chuckled, "I don't quite understand what you're saying either, but I'll do whatever you tell me to do."
Zheng Yi withdrew his gaze and walked down from the city wall.
"Have Han Wuhen, Elder Liu, and Iron One-Eyed come to the study tonight."
"Yes."
……
After nightfall, the fire burned brightly in the study.
Han Wuhen, wrapped in a fur coat, squatted down by the brazier as soon as he entered the room, stretching out his hands to warm them. He muttered to himself, "Damn it, the wind outside is like a knife. My body is almost blown through."
Elder Liu sat upright, holding a booklet and reading it. Hearing this, he lifted his eyelids and said, "Fatty Han, if even you, with your body fat, can't hold up, how can anyone else survive?"
Han Wuhen grinned: "Old Liu, that's not very kind of you. Fat is fat, but fat is still meat, and meat gets cold too."
Iron One-Eyed pushed open the door, brushed the snow off his shoulders, and casually placed a scroll of secret reports on the table: "Sir, seven more people died on Qingyun Mountain today. Three were killed while robbing grain, two fell to their deaths while fleeing over the mountain at night, and the other two were beheaded in public by the Enforcement Hall."
Zheng Yi sat behind his desk, unfolded the scroll of secret reports, and glanced at it.
It's short and simple.
But it is these seemingly simple little things that can gradually wear down a mountain.
Han Wuhen peeked over and chuckled, "Sir, now that they're all like this, can we finally free up some time to do something else?"
"Yes." Zheng Yi put down the secret report.
All three people in the room looked up.
Zheng Yi leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice.
"For the next two weeks, the general direction for Hongyun City will remain unchanged. First, continue recruiting people. Anyone coming from the vicinity of Qingyun Mountain, regardless of social status, as long as they have hands and feet, should be accepted. Second, the prices of grain and iron should remain unchanged and not be lowered. Third, the city's defenses will remain in place, and the main formation will remain operational, especially at the north and west gates, where the number of guards will be doubled."
Elder Liu nodded slightly: "These are not difficult."
Han Wuhen's eyes darted around: "Sir, are you... going out?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Zheng Yi glanced at Han Wuhen and smiled faintly: "You certainly have sharp ears."
Han Wuhen immediately perked up and took two steps forward: "I'm going too, not because I'm a picky listener, but because I've been with you for a long time and know your style. Usually, when you arrange things so meticulously, you're probably not even in the city yourself."
Iron One-Eyed also raised his single eye, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Where are you going, sir?"
"The far north."
Han Wuhen was stunned: "The far north?"
Elder Liu put down the booklet, his brows furrowing. "Sir, the far north is a long and cold place, teeming with monsters, and in many places there aren't even roads. Isn't it a bit too early for you to leave Hongyun City now?"
Zheng Yi raised his hand and pressed his fingertips against a rough map spread out on the corner of the table.
At the very top of the map is a large blank space, with only a few crooked little words written on the edge: Far North Ice Plain.
“Dingzhou is just the beginning,” Zheng Yi said. “Whether the Qingyun Sect falls or not is not important. What is important is that I need to see what this world is really like. The further north we go, the more sparsely populated the land becomes, the more diverse the sects and factions are, and the more chaotic the trade routes are. Many things that cannot be seen in Dingzhou are actually clear there.”
Han Wuhen opened his mouth: "Sir, do you want to go scout ahead?"
"Sort of," Zheng Yi said. "We'll also see if we can find anything that Hongyun City will need in the future. Minerals, medicine, roads, people, anything will do."
Iron One-Eyed grinned: "I'll go with you too."
"You're not going?" Zheng Yi said directly.
Iron One-Eyed was taken aback: "Why?"
“You have to stay here and keep an eye on Qingyun Mountain.” Zheng Yi looked at him. “Right now, you’re the perfect person to stab someone in the back from the shadows. If you leave, half of our intelligence will be cut off.”
Iron One-Eyed clicked his tongue and fell silent.
Han Wuhen quickly said, "Then I'll go too! I'm quick-witted, and I can manage the accounts, meals, and even buy the carriages along the way—"
"Aren't you going either?"
"Sir!" Han Wuhen looked aggrieved. "What would I do here?"
"Settling the newly arrived refugees, negotiating land and trade routes with the surrounding families, building a new market outside the city—which of these tasks doesn't require your expertise?" Zheng Yi looked at him. "Besides, while I'm away, there are some dirty jobs in the city that Guo Tianyou can't do, and Lao Liu disdains to do, so only you can do them."
Han Wuhen opened his mouth, and after a long while he sighed: "Fine, I guess I'm destined to be a busybody."
Elder Liu pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "If you insist on going north, sir, you must bring at least a few reliable people with you. You need guards along the way, places to stay, and people to gather information."
“I know,” Zheng Yi said. “Don’t bring too many people. It’s not good to be too conspicuous. Two cars and four or five attendants are enough.”
Elder Liu nodded: "Then I'll assign you someone who understands formations, and someone who can read the earth's veins."
“No need,” Zheng Yi shook his head. “I want to travel light this time. Just like a regular merchant trip.”
Han Wuhen suddenly blinked: "Sir, you don't think it would be too conspicuous for me to go too, do you?"
Zheng Yi glanced at him: "What do you think?"
Han Wuhen looked down at his round belly, then touched his face and smiled sheepishly: "That is indeed... a bit conspicuous."
Everyone in the room chuckled.
The atmosphere lightened for a moment.
Zheng Yi added, "After I leave, the three of you will discuss and handle the major affairs in the city. If you're unsure about anything, write it down and wait for my return. As for Qingyun Mountain, you are not allowed to send troops there on your own initiative, and you are not allowed to be greedy for merit or act rashly. If anyone thinks that the other side is about to fall apart and wants to kick them over, I will deal with them just the same even when I'm not around."
Since Guo Tianyou wasn't in his study, he naturally said this to someone else, who would then relay it to him.
Han Wuhen nodded and laughed, "I understand too. With Guo Heilian's temper, as soon as he heard how chaotic things were on the other side, he was probably itching to take action. I'll go and give him a good talking to when I get back."
“It’s not about giving him a warning,” Zheng Yi said. “It’s about keeping a close eye on him.”
"Yes."
The study fell silent for a moment, with only the soft crackling of the embers in the brazier.
Zheng Yi looked at the map on the table, his fingertip pausing on the large blank area in the north.
He didn't just act on a whim.
During this period, although the situation in Hongyun City was relatively calm, he had something weighing on his mind.
Dingzhou is too small.
The Qingyun Sect is too close.
Every step he's taking now is correct, but precisely because of this, he's becoming increasingly aware that he can't keep his eyes fixed on this small piece of land forever.
Cities can be built, soldiers can be trained, formations can be set up, and grain can be stored.
But you can't develop a broad perspective without going out and seeing things for yourself.
The far north is bitterly cold, chaotic, and far removed from the various sects of Dingzhou, but that also means no one has truly mastered it. There might be larger mines, wilder trade routes, and stranger forces there, or perhaps there is nothing at all, only ice, snow, and wolves.
But he wouldn't be satisfied without going to see for himself.
……
Three days later, at dawn.
Before the snow outside Hongyun City had been cleared, an inconspicuous convoy of cars had already quietly left through the North Gate.
Two covered carriages, each ridden by two men, dressed very plainly. The one driving the first carriage was a man in his thirties, broad-shouldered and thick-backed, with an old scar on his face, looking like an ordinary guard. A thin young man sat on the shaft of the second carriage, a blade of grass between his teeth, his eyes darting around quickly.
Zheng Yi was sitting in the first car.
He no longer wore that eye-catching black fox fur cloak, but instead changed into a dark blue cotton robe with an old fur coat over it. On the table were a short knife, a map, and half a pot of lukewarm yellow wine.
The wheels rolled over the snow, swaying gently.
He lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the city wall gradually receding into the distance.
In the morning mist and snow, Hongyun City resembled a quiet, crouching black behemoth.
It won't cause any major problems in the short term.
As for Qingyun Mountain, whether it will bite through him before he returns depends on how long that sect leader can hold it back.
The scarred man driving the cart turned around and asked, "Master, there's a small town called Anping about twenty miles ahead. Can we stop in town to rest before dark today?"
Zheng Yi nodded: "No rush. Let's stay in Anping for the night."
"Yes."
The scarred man was named Xu Chuan, handpicked by Guo Tianyou from among his personal guards. He was steady, tight-lipped, and didn't ask many questions. The skinny young man behind him was named Zhou Xiaoliu, originally a mountain trail runner under Iron One-Eye. He knew the way quickly and was good at reading people, making him more suitable for the road than the city.
There aren't many people, but it's enough.
As we headed north, the snowscape became increasingly expansive.
The mountains around Dingzhou aren't very high yet, but along the road, patches of frozen forest have already appeared, with bare branches weighed down by snow. Occasionally, crows take flight from the treetops, fluttering about, their blackness blinding.
Around noon, Zhou Xiaoliu suddenly urged his horse forward from behind and said in a low voice, "Master, there are two groups of people arguing by the roadside ahead, blocking half the road. They seem to be from the city."
Zheng Yi lifted the curtain: "Has anyone died?"
"Not yet." Zhou Xiaoliu grinned. "But judging from the looks of it, it'll be soon. I went over and overheard a few words. They're saying that three brothers are dividing up the family property, but they can't divide it fairly, and they're making a scene at the yamen."
Zheng Yi glanced at him: "At the yamen gate?"
"Yes, it's right outside the Anping County government office."
Zheng Yi lowered the curtain: "Let's go take a look."
Anping County is not large. (End of Chapter)